Eduardo Teixeira

This study examined the relative contribution of sociodemographic, psychological, behavioral, and physiological factors to subjective well-being (SWB) among community gym users and investigated the indirect association between basic psychological need satisfaction and SWB through self-determined motivation. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 348 adults (31.53 ± 12.86 years) recruited from community gyms in Portugal. Participants completed validated measures of basic psychological need satisfaction, motivational regulation, life satisfaction, and positive and negative affect. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was assessed through self-reported weekly physical activity, and body composition through bioelectrical impedance. Hierarchical multiple linear regression and mediation analysis were performed. Missing data were addressed using multiple imputation. Psychological variables produced the largest increase in explained SWB variance (ΔR² = 0.173, p < 0.001). MVPA added only 0.2% (ΔR² = 0.002, p = 0.478), while body composition indicators added 1.0% (ΔR² = 0.010, p = 0.303). The final model explained 21.7% of SWB variance. A significant indirect association through self-determined motivation was observed (B = 0.228, 95% CI [0.139, 0.324]). Psychological variables provided greater explanatory information about SWB than MVPA or body composition. The findings highlight the relevance of psychological experiences in exercise settings, while the cross-sectional design precludes causal interpretations.

Introduction: The study is aimed to identify sociodemographic and professional characteristics related to the careers of former Portuguese football players. Methodology: The sample consisted of 84 Portuguese former players (48.8 ± 8.2 years old) with at least 8 years of professional experience, who finished their careers between 1988 and 2018. Quantitative data was collected from a validated semi-structure interview guide. Results and Discussion: Former Portuguese players had a career of 15.2 ± 3.1 years with more 6.4 ± 2.2 years of youth federated formation. Significant statistical differences were seen between former players with different competitive levels (t(71)=3.843; p=0.001) and international status (t(82)=-2.740; p=0.008). During their careers, 36% accomplish academic formation and 61.9% pursued technical education. Academic habilitation was statistically significant relationships with competitive level (χ2(1)=9.655; ρ=0.002) and international status (χ2(1)=6.930; ρ=0.008), unlike what happened with technical qualification (p>0.05). The majority of former players marry (83.3%) and have children during the career (82.2%). The divorce rate is 15%. Residential mobility is high (8.1 ± 5.55 years). The professional incomes were considered high or very high and 16.7% of former players developed addictions during their career. Conclusion: Former players with higher competitive levels and international status tend to have longer careers. Conversely, they tend to invest less in academic formation. The results reveals that the football career is brief and presents stress and risk factors, mainly at higher competitive levels. The findings contribute to a better understanding and discussion of the professional careers of former Portuguese football players.

Background/Objectives: Football players have a high injury risk due to the physical demands of their profession, which can negatively affect their quality of life (QoL) in the long term. The aim of this study is to characterize the severe injuries that former Portuguese football players suffered throughout their professional careers and investigate the resulting impacts on the physical domain of QoL after retirement. Methods: This study includes 84 former Portuguese football players (48.8 ± 8.2 years) who underwent reform between 1988 and 2018 and played in professional leagues (15.2 ± 3.2 years of career duration), namely, first division leagues (n = 43) and secondary division leagues (n = 41). Quantitative and qualitative interview data are used by a validated interview guide and from results of the physical domain obtained by the application of the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-Bref). Results: Former players had 2.1 ± 1.5 severe injuries throughout their careers. The most common injuries involve the knee (47.5%) and foot/ankle (17.2%), with the anatomical area of the knee as the most likely to require surgical intervention (60%). The association between tactical-positional status and the incidence of severe injuries is significant, with defenders sustaining less severe injuries throughout their careers. This study found a statistically significant linear model (F(1.82) = 8.089, p < 0.006) that explains 7.9% of the variation in the physical domain of QoL (R2ajuste = 0.079). For each severe injury sustained throughout a career, there is an estimated decrease of 2.7 values in QoL perception in the physical domain. Conclusions: The higher the number of severe injuries sustained during a career, the lower the perception of QoL in the physical domain of former players in their post-career. These findings highlight the need to optimize training programs and injury prevention and recovery protocols for long-term QoL improvement in the physical domain of football players.

Background: The demands of playing professional football can have an impact on an individual’s quality of life (QoL), which may remain into retirement. Given limited evidence exists regarding the QoL in former football players, this study aimed to assess QoL among Portuguese former players according to career duration, career end period, competitive level, tactical-positional status, international status, academic qualifications, serious injuries in career, and current professional football connection. Methods: The study included 84 Portuguese former football players (48.8 ± 8.2 years old) who transitioned to retirement between 1988 and 2018. The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was used to assess QoL perceptions, and the Portuguese version was validated. Results and Discussion: The former players have positive QoL indicators, both in general and across the four domains, namely in terms of the physical, psychological, and social relationship and environment. There were no statistically significant differences in QoL between the defined categories for career end period, competitive level, tactical-positional status, international status, and current professional football connection. Likewise, there was no significant correlation between QoL and career duration. In contrast, there were significant differences in general QoL (p < 0.023) and in the physical domain (p < 0.001) between former players with different academic qualifications. A significant correlation was found between the number of severe injuries sustained in a career and QoL in the physical domain (R = −0.300, p = 0.006). Conclusions: There are no concerning QoL results presented by former players. However, the number of severe injuries sustained during the career was associated with a lower QoL, while holding higher academic qualifications demonstrated higher general and physical QoL. Studies with larger samples should be conducted to confirm these trends.

Introduction: Considering the importance of assessing the impacts resulting from a sport career, this study aimed at developing and validating a semi-structure interview guide suitable for quantifying the sociodemographic and epidemiological profile of former professional football players.Methods: Based on the theoretical frameworks and several methodological procedures, an interview guide was developed, consisting of 3 areas of conceptual organization (A1. Biographical data; A2. Professional Career; and A3. Post-Career Transition) and 8 data collection categories (C1. Personal data; C2. Professional data; C3. Sociodemographic background; C4. Epidemiological pathway; C5. Moment of career retirement (career transition); C6. Post-career sociodemographic pathway; C7. Post-career epidemiological pathway; and C8. Perceptions of post-career planning). Thus, in procedural terms, four stages were considered for the construction and validation of the interview guide, namely the Ad hoc construction of the interview guide (i), the review of the in-terview guide by a panel of experts (ii), definition of procedures and protocol for the application of the interview (iii), and the application of the pilot study for the face validation of the interview guide (iv). The sample consisted of two former Portuguese professional players.Results and discussion: To analyze and discuss the data, a content analysis was carried out on all the answers given to each question in the script by the interviewees. From them, matrices were created with the response references to each subcategory. In this way, it was possible to analyse the type of answers given by the interviewees and relate them to the theoretical perspectives of the topic being investigated. The results showed that the interview guide for the study of the impacts of the sports careers on the quality of life of Portuguese former football players shows reliability for the collection of qualitative and quantitative information from the respective content analysis. The use of the interview guide characterizes the path of former player, providing information and knowledge on the sociodemographic and epidemiological impact factors resulting from their post-career.

Considering the importance of assessing the impacts resulting from a sport career, this study aimed at developing and validating a semi-structure interview guide suitable for quantifying the socio-demographic and epidemiological profile of former professional football players. Based on the theoretical frameworks and several methodological procedures, an interview guide was de-veloped, consisting of 3 areas of conceptual organization (A1. Biographical data; A2. Career data; and A3. Post-Career Transition data) and 8 data collection categories (C1. Personal data; C2. Pro-fessional data; C3. Socio-demographic pathway in the post-career; epidemiological pathway; C4. Epidemiological pathway; C5. Moment of leaving the career; C6. Socio-demographic pathway in post-career; C7. Epidemiological pathway in the post-career; and C8. Perceptions on post-career planning). The construction and validation of the interview guide following 4 steps: Ad hoc con-struction of the interview guide (step 1); Review of the interview guide by a panel of experts (step 2); Definition of procedures and protocol for the application of the interview (step 3); Application of the pilot study for face validation of the interview guide (step 4). Thus, in procedural terms, four stages were considered for the construction and validation of the interview guide, namely the Ad hoc construction of the interview guide (i), the review of the in-terview guide by a panel of experts (ii), definition of procedures and protocol for the application of the interview (iii), and the application of the pilot study for the face validation of the interview guide (iv). The results showed that the interview guide for the study of the impacts of the sports careers on the quality of life of Portuguese former football players shows reliability for the collec-tion of qualitative and quantitative information from the respective content analysis. The use of the interview guide characterizes the path of former player, providing information and knowledge on the socio-demographic and epidemiological impact factors resulting from their post-career (sports retirement).

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between regular physical exercise and affective responses to the behaviour, and to investigate the relationship with life satisfaction, self-esteem, and vitality. In total, 264 Portuguese exercisers (female = 157) aged between 18 and 69 years (M = 12.93; SD = 1.49) were considered for analysis in this study. Participants were regular exercisers with a mean year experience of 5.73 (SD = 3.19). Looking at the results, the structural model displayed acceptable fit to the data: χ²(314) = 515.904; p < .001; CFI = .928; TLI = .919; RMSEA .049 [.042, .057]. Overall, significant direct effects were found as theoretically proposed, namely: exercise frequency displayed a positive and significant association with positive affect; positive affect was positively associated with life satisfaction, self-esteem, and subjective vitality; and, negative affect was negatively correlated with life satisfaction, self-esteem, and subjective vitality. Exercise frequency had a positive and significant indirect effect on life satisfaction, self-esteem, and subjective vitality via positive affect, but not via negative affect.

The standing broad jump (SBJ) is a valid, reliable and feasible field-based test, which can evaluate explosive strength of the lower limbs and physical fitness. This study aimed to provide normative data for the SBJ for male and female children and adolescents and describe differences in performance between age groups and genders. A total number of 2140 children and adolescents, sampled in seven European nations have been included for analysis. The SBJ was performed to derive percentile values for gender and each age group. In general, males have greater jumping performance compared to females. Data demonstrate a linear increase in the jumping distance for both males and females until adolescence. However, such increase is evident in males up to 16-17 years old, whereas in females a plateau value is met at 12-13 years old, with a subsequent decrease in the jumping performance. No differences were present in jumping performance between male and female children, however differences between male and female adolescents were evinced. The study has provided percentile values useful to monitor the physical fitness status of children and adolescents.

The standing broad jump (SBJ) is a valid, reliable and feasible field-based test, which can evaluate explosive strength of the lower limbs and physical fitness. This study aimed to provide normative data for the SBJ for male and female children and adolescents and describe differences in performance between age groups and genders. A total number of 2140 children and adolescents, sampled in seven European nations have been included for analysis. The SBJ was performed to derive percentile values for gender and each age group. In general, males have greater jumping performance compared to females. Data demonstrate a linear increase in the jumping distance for both males and females until adolescence. However, such increase is evident in males up to 16-17 years old, whereas in females a plateau value is met at 12-13 years old, with a subsequent decrease in the jumping performance. No differences were present in jumping performance between male and female children, however differences between male and female adolescents were evinced. The study has provided percentile values useful to monitor the physical fitness status of children and adolescents.